Pocono Mountain, charter school settle lawsuit

'No monetary relief' given to students who claimed bigotry

The Pocono Mountain School District has reached a tentative settlement of a lawsuit claiming that officials sought to force the Pocono Mountain Charter School to close because its students and faculty are primarily minorities.

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By Terrie Morgan-Besecker

poconorecord.com

By Terrie Morgan-Besecker

Posted Dec. 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By Terrie Morgan-Besecker

Posted Dec. 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

The Pocono Mountain School District has reached a tentative settlement of a lawsuit claiming that officials sought to force the Pocono Mountain Charter School to close because its students and faculty are primarily minorities.

The lawsuit was filed in 2010 on behalf of the school and several students and their families. It alleged district officials took numerous actions to thwart the school's ability to operate, including filing false allegations with the state Department of Education in hopes of getting its charter revoked.

The suit, filed by attorneys Daniel Fennick of York and Judith Gran of Haddonfield, N.J., claimed the actions were based on personal animus district officials had for the student body, which was 90 percent minorities at the time the suit was filed, as well as its faculty and administrators, most of whom were also minorities.

The district and charter school have been locked in a contentious battle since May 2008, when the district took official action to have the school's charter revoked. The state's Charter Appeal Board granted the petition earlier this year based on the school's connections to the Shawnee Tabernacle Church.

The Rev. Dennis Bloom, the head of the church and the charter school, pleaded guilty in June to income tax evasion and was sentenced in October to 10 months in prison. The school remains open as it continues to appeal the revocation of its charter to the state's Commonwealth Court.

In court documents, attorneys for the district denied there was any improper motive for its actions. Senior U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo in November 2012 granted the district's motion to dismiss all counts filed on behalf of the school, but let stand several counts relating to individual students.

Court records filed Thursday show the case was dismissed by Judge Caputo based on notice he received from attorneys that a settlement had been reached. The order gives the parties 60 days to reinstate the suit if the settlement is not consummated.

The judge's order did not detail the terms of the settlement.

Wendy Frable, the school district's public information officer, on Friday said the school district's attorney, Ellen Schurdak of Bethlehem, advised her there was "no monetary relief or any other relief" given to the plaintiffs.

Contacted Friday, Schurdak would not provide further clarification, referring a reporter to attorneys for the plaintiffs. Attempts to reach Fennick and Gran were unsuccessful.